Uganda is 42% Roman Catholic, and no where is there more tolerance for homosexuality then in the Catholic nations of the world, and no mother in Ireland or Italy or Italian American or Irish American does not have some horror story of a priest molesting or rapeing young boys,

so one wonders why out of all the African nations where homosexuality is ilegal and some haveing the death penalty is Uganda so prominent in the news

Perhaps Coltan looting? for the US and EU

Perhaps Lithium looting? for the US and EU

done by Museveni
who for years has sent troops into the Congo at the behest of transnational corporations,

and now according to opposition leader Kizza Besigye

the masses may use the same techniques seen in Tunisa and what is now called Egypt
to overthrow him

President Yoweri Museveni declaring there would be "no Egyptian-like movement" in Uganda at a press conference just days before the elections.

The timing of the ban occurs just as leading members of Uganda's opposition parties including the Forum for Democratic Change, Uganda's People's Congress, and the Democratic Party, have called for mass protests.

Illustrating the readiness of the Ugandan government to crackdown on protestors, Museveni explained: "We would just lock them up... in the most humane manner possible, bang them into jails and that would be the end of the story."

The Right to Freedom of Assembly?

Uganda’s constitution and international law guarantees Ugandan citizens the right to freedom of assembly, but Ugandan law enforcement seem to have other ideas.

Kale Kayihura, chief of Uganda’s police forces issued a press release on February 26th, which declared demonstrations unlawful. The release explained that police had learned about planned demonstrations to protest the elections outcome and warned that they would be shutdown immediately.

Days before the demonstration, Kampala police chief Kale Kayihura told local media he had evidence the opposition was planning to burn down various buildings in Kampala. Kayihura subsequently banned demonstrations, warning opposition groups and the Ugandan public that any attempts to demonstrate would be swiftly crushed.

But for Otunnu, a former UN diplomat, the police ban was the precise reason for conducting the demonstration.

“We wanted to assure Ugandans that our action was fully within the constitutional laws of Uganda” Otunnu said.

“We broke no law, contrary to what Museveni and the police chief are saying, that you cannot demonstrate, that you cannot march peacefully in the streets of Kampala” Otunnu continued.

Otunnu said that besides demonstrating to Ugandans that peaceful protests were possible to hold, the organizers also wanted to reveal the government's role in creating unrest.

“Today we wanted to demonstrate first of all, that our action is completely peaceful, that it is the government – Museveni and his security forces – who are fomenting violence, who are planning to harm demonstrators. Indeed, Museveni has said he will kill those who demonstrate…”

The CAFFE demonstration concluded with the signing of the "Blue Book" – a mass petition calling for free and fair elections and a new electoral commission. The Blue Book has been signed by over 4 million Ugandans.

Police Provoked Market Violence

Eyewitnesses say the violence at the market began when police showed up and started provoking people gathered there by tearing down opposition posters. Several groups of traders had also gotten involved in heated exchanges with police, arguing angrily that the heavy presence of army and police was scaring off their customers.

At one point, a Black Star News source reports, vendors ordered and chased police away from one section of the market, and when vendors caught several suspected undercover government agents throwing rocks to agitate police against the crowd, they placed them under citizen's arrest.

As events escalated, the source says anti-riot police and military units moved in, shooting live bullets and teargas. Local media are reporting that the unrest at the market continued today, with police searching for more suspects.

Second Demonstration Announced in Central Uganda

A second demonstration, planned for Friday in Jinja, a town in Central Uganda, will again test the limits of the Ugandan government's tolerance for peaceful protest. There too, police have warned organizers that the demonstrations are unlawful, but Uganda's opposition leaders are determined to proceed. The march is expected to begin mid-morning and will conclude with a rally in the town center.